Satellite relay communications involve the use of artificial satellites to provide communication links between various points on earth. Such communications play a vital role in the global telecommunications system where approximately 2,000 artificial satellites orbiting earth relay analog and digital signals carrying voice, video, and data to and from one or many locations worldwide. Satellite communications include two main components: the ground segment, which consists of fixed or mobile transmission, reception, and ancillary equipment, and the space segment, which primarily is the satellite itself. A typical communications relay satellite link involves the transmission or uplinking of a signal from an earth station to a satellite, where the satellite then receives and amplifies the signal and retransmits it back to earth, where it is received and re-amplified by earth stations and terminals. Satellite receivers on the ground include direct-to-home (DTH) satellite equipment, mobile reception equipment in aircraft, satellite telephones, and handheld devices, for example. An applicable satellite architecture involves the sensing, recording, and processing of data by one or more satellites, where the data is to be transferred to ground terminals by downlink signals. The main components of a satellite consist of the communications system, which includes antennas and transponders that receive and/or retransmit signals, the power system, which includes solar panels that provide power, and the propulsion system, which includes rockets that propel the satellite into proper position.
One of the main issues with satellite sensing and communications is the tremendous costs involved when launching a satellite payload into orbit. Thus, the greater functionality and communications capability with a given satellite accordingly involves greater associated costs when launching the satellite into space. In order to mitigate such costs, satellites are being designed in a wide range of sizes that in some cases weigh 100 kilograms to 10 kilograms or less. Although the costs of launching such small payloads are greatly reduced, the communications capabilities of such small devices are greatly reduced in turn. Namely, the limited electrical power available on small satellites greatly reduces the transmissions capabilities of the satellites to earth stations. Sensor systems onboard the small spacecraft may be able to collect large volumes of data, but with no means to get the data to ground for processing, the collection capability is of no utility. Extending this problem to the situation where large numbers of small spacecraft are collecting immense volumes of data, and the problem of transmitting at very low power extremely large volumes of data to ground becomes one of critical importance.